Aziz Ansari has not been much of a public figure in the past year, since his accusation of sexual misconduct.
On a website called babe, a woman described being on a date with the comic and feeling pressured to perform sexual acts with him despite giving him “clear nonverbal cues” she was not interested.
The post led to controversy all around, with backlash coming both at Aziz AND at the website for publishing what many believed to be an example which ultimately weakened the #MeToo movement.
Related: Master Of None Costar Lena Waithe Weighed In
Apart from a single statement immediately following, in which he called the encounter “consensual,” Aziz has not spoken about the controversy.
But during his “pop-up show” in NYC Monday night, the comedian finally addressed it head-on, per a report from Vulture.
It started with a bit about being mistaken for Hasan Minhaj and having to correct the person. He enacted both sides of the conversation, saying:
“‘Oh, no, Aziz, right?’ ‘Yeah, yeah, that’s me.’ ‘Master of None!’ ‘Yeah, yeah, that’s me.’ ‘Parks and Rec!’ ‘Yeah, yeah, that’s me.’ ‘Treat yourself!’ ‘Yeah, yeah, that’s me.’ ‘And you had the whole thing come out last year — sexual misconduct?’ ‘No, no, no, no, no, no, that’s Hasan!'”
And that’s how he broke the ice. What he did in the cold water was much more serious.
First he explained he hadn’t spoken about it much because he’d needed time to process what to say. He also said:
“It’s a terrifying thing to talk about. There were times I felt really upset and humiliated and embarrassed, and ultimately I just felt terrible this person felt this way. But you know, after a year, how I feel about it is, I hope it was a step forward. It made me think about a lot, and I hope I’ve become a better person.”
Aziz then referred to a friend who told him the story had made him question every date he’d ever been on.
“If that has made not just me but other guys think about this, and just be more thoughtful and aware and willing to go that extra mile, and make sure someone else is comfortable in that moment, that’s a good thing.”
The standup ended by saying the controversy had affected him personally by making him “scared” he’d never be able to do comedy again.
And being able to get back on stage in front of an audience who wanted to see him — 18,000+ people reportedly tried to get a ticket to the surprise show — made him view the “Thank you” at the end of his act in a new way:
“Now, I really mean it. I mean it on a different level. You canceled whatever you were supposed to do tonight, and you came out in the cold, and you waited in line, and you put your phone in a stupid pouch. You did all this shit just to hear me talk for an hour and some change, and it means the world to me, so thank you so much.”
What do YOU think about the way Aziz is addressing the scandal??
[Image via Aziz Ansari/Instagram.]
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